CH 97

Twin Fish [Translator]12-15 minutes

Gu Qingchi managed to cajole Mrs. Gu. During the phone call, she was focused entirely on when he would come visit her. However, after thinking about it for a bit, she still felt a little uneasy.

Gu Qingchi never told her about any of his troubles. He would always tell her that everything was fine. The only way she could understand Gu Qingchi was through the internet. However, the situation online wasn’t very good. YlV8Qv

Marketing accounts started popping up one after another.

[I’ve always thought there was something off about him. He was distracted during the entire show, and he didn’t talk much either.]

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[He’s such a bad influence. I hope he’ll be dealt with as soon as possible.]

[I don’t think you can say that just yet. The truth of the matter hasn’t come out yet. Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t made a statement. They’re going to test him.] zyig1j

[He’s probably trying to figure out how he can fake the results.]

Mrs. Gu couldn’t even bring herself to read the rest of the comments as they were so harsh. She just hurriedly scrolled past them.

Mrs. Gu felt angry and powerless. What did they know? They all thought they knew everything despite their lack of evidence. They never bothered to think critically. They would only ever see what they wanted to see.

Upon opening the chat interface with Mrs. Gu, Gu Qingchi could see that she would start typing every once in a while, but, even after a long time had passed, nothing was sent.

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Gu Qingchi’s hospital bed had been propped up by Xie Luyu. A few soft pillows were placed at the head of the bed. Xie Luyu had bought them at the last minute. He also replaced the hospital bed’s duvet. If it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t have time, he probably would’ve redecorated the entire hospital ward.

Gu Qingchi tilted his head. His phone was on and placed by his hand. He quietly looked at the someone-is-currently-typing notification that popped up from time to time.

“Mrs. Gu worries about you a lot.”

Whenever it came to Mrs. Gu, Gu Qingchi would get a little awkward. b0d3cm

Xie Luyu was sitting on his little stool next to the bed. Although the wound had been stitched up and bandaged already, Xie Luyu still had a hand clasped loosely over Gu Qingchi’s wrist so that Gu Qingchi wouldn’t be able to see it.

“Ye Li is already dealing with it. He went to get a hair drug test done for you a couple days ago. The results should be out soon. It will be fine to hang out by then.”

Gu Qingchi didn’t say anything. He wasn’t worried about this. He lowered his head and stared at his phone, his eyelashes fluttering every now and then.

“I promised to meet her next week. Will I be better by then? Will it still be visible then?” f2elpm

Xie Luyu was silent for a while. He licked his chapped lips and started negotiating with him.

“No, next week is a little too soon. I don’t think your wound will be healed by then. Mrs. Gu cares about you a lot, so she’s sure to pay a lot of attention to you when the time comes. What if she finds out about it? Wouldn’t that make her even more worried?”

Gu Qingchi also seemed to know that it wasn’t very feasible, so he didn’t say anything else. He turned his head to the side, his eyelashes fluttering a few times, before finally falling asleep. His hospital gown hung loosely on his frame, his collarbone peeking out of the gown. His hair was scattered upon his pillow, and his lips were pursed, pale and fragile.

Gu Qingchi woke up later that night, still seeming a little uneasy. He obediently finished his dinner. After a bout of praise from Xie Luyu, he once again brought up the subject of visiting Mrs. Gu. It was rare for him to take something to heart like this. If he was told that he couldn’t do something, he typically wouldn’t bring it up again, so it was clear that this was something he really cared about. j6wh1B

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“I can just tell Mrs. Gu that I have work next week and that I’ll visit her later.” B1 x9V

Gu Qingchi was very insistent.

Xie Luyu and Ye Li both stubbornly refused to agree. In the end, Ye Li decided not to accept the photoshoot gig. Instead, they decided to simply take a few photos themselves so that they wouldn’t have to go to a studio. All they needed to do was fix up the hospital room and take a few shots. When the moment comes, they could release the photos in order to suppress public opinion online.

⁂

A new post was finally updated to Gu Qingchi’s Weibo. This was one of the few posts uploaded since the video of him went viral. The post contained a drug test report. MjvOpH

The drug test came up negative. The test performed was a hair drug test, and it could detect drug use within a period of up to six months.

Once the results came out, Gu Qingchi’s fans straightened their backs. They wanted nothing more than to announce their idol’s innocence to the whole world. They ended up pushing this post onto the trending list.

The major marketing accounts and entertainment accounts that had been stirring up trouble all quietly deleted their posts. They acted as if nothing had ever happened.

Nevertheless, there were still a handful of people who stubbornly refused to let go. Lx3WY

[Aren’t hair drug tests only valid for a period of up to six months? He might not actually be all that innocent, okay? Gosh, I’m seriously speechless.]

[Uh, taking drugs might have long term side effects that we don’t know about. It might be that he took drugs in the past and he’s just suffering the consequences now.]

Afterwards, Gu Qingchi’s team sent out another post. It was a lawyer’s letter. It stated that they would be suing several marketing accounts and entertainment accounts that had been the most active in spreading the rumors.

At first, some were still skeptical. X8pwBc

[He’s definitely getting anxious. Literally anyone can send out a lawyer’s letter these days. It’s all they ever do. How about trying something new for a change?]

Netizens began settling down, however, after a prominent law firm reposted the lawyer’s letter.

The replies to this comment were full of ridicule.

[Here’s a like. I’m going to push you to the top. No need to thank me.] JeTw18

[Here’s a repost. Once your comment gathers enough traction, you’ll be able to receive a lawyer’s letter too.]

This comment was then quietly deleted.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

At this point, public opinion had completely reversed.

Afterwards, Gu Qingchi’s team released another set of photos, a set of everyday photos. WoTLkb

The photos were captioned, “I’m doing well recently, working hard, no need to worry.”

There were only two photos in total. The clothes that Gu Qingchi wore were the same in both photos. They were simple, kind of preppy, something that a student would wear. He wore a white button-up shirt with a tie and simple black pair of pants.

The one thing that seemed a little out of place, however, was the fact that Gu Qingchi was wearing makeup. He had applied some lipstick and foundation because his face was simply far too pale. A close look at his neck would even reveal the light blue of his veins.

A bright red lipstick was used to divert attention away from his pale pallor. UJ8mco

He appeared unexpectedly gorgeous like this, yet he didn’t come off as overly feminine. Once beauty transcended gender, anything could become an enhancement for him, but there would not be any question of his gender.

Combining red lipstick with a white button-up shirt created a very striking visual effect.

In the first photo, Gu Qingchi was standing next to a table, his hand resting on the table’s edge, and he was looking at the camera.

In the second photo, Gu Qingchi was sitting on a chair and looking out of the window, strips of light hitting his collarbone and side of his face. vL4AZc

Gu Qingchi’s fans quickly reported in.

[Is this my birthday or something? My only complaint would be that we want more than just two photos! Also, please share the lip color!]

[Hmph! If you would just promote yourself a bit more, I wouldn’t have to watch the same couple of videos of you over and over again. I have to watch them once in high definition, once with music in the background, once with a filter over them. If it weren’t for the editors that keep feeding me, I would’ve starved to death already! Also, please share the lip color!]

[I noticed something on his wrist in the first photo, so I zoomed in and discovered that it was a wristband. Why is he wearing a wristband? If I may say so, I don’t think it matches the rest of his outfit. Chi Chi looks good in everything though! I bet he saves his stylists a lot of trouble!] nqhjDa

[I think Xie Xie also has that same wristband!]

[Uh, why does the scenery outside the window seem so familiar? Is Chi Chi at the hospital?]

This last comment was liked all the way to the top.

The replies were endless. NRJFfr

[I can see my apartment building from the window! It does seem a bit like the hospital from this angle. Is the angle accurate?]

[No way! Why would Chi Chi go to the hospital for photos?]

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[Oh my god! Is he at the hospital? Is he hurt?]

[Don’t freak out just yet. How could that be possible?] thZbLM

[Alright, enough of that. All we need to do is find out if it’s actually a hospital. Give me a moment. I’ll examine the photos a bit and post the results later.]

The results were soon posted.

There were three photos in total. The first photo was the view from the window in the original photo, the second photo was the scenery from outside of the building, and the last photo was a perspective drawing with individual angles marked on the image. The truth was clear at a glance.

[I’ll take a look. I’m familiar with the area. My sister works there. I go there often to deliver her meals. According to this angle … I’ve cracked the case. It’s X Floor of XX Hospital. Let me take another look. I think it’s the surgical ward! Why is Chi Chi at the surgical ward? Was he injured?] ZwjCJ4

[Let’s not freak out. It shouldn’t be anything too serious since he’s fine in the photo. I’ll go contact some big name fans and see if they have any news.]

[I’m just a passer-by, but I’m seriously shocked. Netizens these days are like Sherlock Holmes … ]

Gu Qingchi’s fan base instantly exploded.

⁂ eqX308

Gu Qingchi had been the one to upload this post, and he’d been the one to write the caption as well. He wanted nothing more than to show Mrs. Gu that he was doing well, that he was just busy. He even chose the photos himself, specifically choosing the two photos that he thought he looked the best in.

Once he was satisfied, he started typing out a message to Mrs. Gu, telling her that he wouldn’t be able to see her due to a last minute gig but he would try to bring back a souvenir for her. He typed with one hand, editing and deleting as he constructed the text message. He was still in the middle of editing when Mrs. Gu began sending him a flurry of messages.

[Good boy, where are you?]

[Good boy, don’t lie to me. Are you at the hospital?] 1hEQKp

[Are you on X Floor of XX Hospital? Surgical ward? Good boy, don’t be scared. Mom will be right there.]

Gu Qingchi stopped typing.

He turned his head towards Xie Luyu, who was devotedly holding his wrist.

“Are we on X Floor of XX Hospital?” nHVXB

Gu Qingchi had been unconscious when he arrived at the hospital, not to mention his awful sense of direction, so, despite having been here several days now, he still didn’t even know where he was.

Xie Luyu was carefully checking whether the bandages were still in place. He touched them ever so lightly. Gu Qingchi found the touches a little ticklish.

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He didn’t even look up.

“Yes, Room XX. Are your friends coming? It’s the first room on this floor. It should be pretty easy to find.” MbY7si

Gu Qingchi blankly hummed in response.